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“Shut up.” Rage like nothing Nik had ever known filled him at the mere sound of another man’s name on her lips. Goddamn. Beautiful. Liar. He threw her a look of disgust. “Stop with the fucking lies.”
She wanted to cry at the way Nik looked at her, at the way he spoke. She no longer understood what was happening. All she knew was that somehow Nik knew she had lied to him about Viktor. “I’m sorry.” She strove to keep her voice even. She didn’t want him to think she wasn’t above using her tears for sympathy. Lifting her gaze to his, Daria whispered, “But I swear, he never—-”
“Never what?” he snarled. “Never kissed you? Never made love to you?” A part of Nik wanted her to lie. If she actually admitted to his face that she had not been the virgin she claimed she was – if she admitted to fucking 28 other men beside him – the other man would be lucky if he escaped with his life after Nik was through with him. He would be lucky if his own jealous rage didn’t drive himself insane.
His gaze swung back to Daria, now a pale, silent figure in bed. Seeing her like that made his fists clench, but even so, Nik sneered, “Aren’t you going to say anything? Aren’t you going to tell me I’m wrong? That you heeded my warning and that you never lied to me?”
She didn’t answer, but the look on her face said it all.
He cursed.
Daria flinched, but it was the look in his eyes that made her throat convulse. It was as if Nik had been clinging to the smallest of hope that she hadn’t lied...but she had. She had lied to him, and now all those lies were haunting her. “Nik, I—-” She got out of bed, but as soon as she started towards him, her hand reaching out, he shook his head, and she stopped.
His lips twisted bitterly, and her hand fell limply against her side. “You know what? Fuck it.”
She watched dazedly as Nik left the room without a word. FROG ALERT, the tiny, sensible voice in her mind said sadly. Only this time, she was the frog who didn’t deserve a prince.
For a long moment, she simply stood there, wondering if she should just go and put everything behind her. The facts were simple, after all. She had only known Nik for barely a week, and most people would tell her that just wasn’t enough time to fall in love. Worse, everything between Nik and her was based on a lie, but the truth would likely drive them apart, would likely make Nik hate her more.
In short, Daria told herself dully, this was going nowhere. She should just cut her losses and—-what?
Turn her back on the only man who had never thought – never treated – her like a whore no matter how flirtatious and provocative she had been?
Daria sank to her knees and covered her face. A sob caused her body to shudder, but she pushed it back, feeling like she didn’t have the right to cry when she was the one who was wrong.
I’m sorry, God.
I’m sorry that I keep getting it wrong, but please. Please give me just one more chance with Nik, and I’ll find the courage to be myself with him. I won’t hide anything after this. I’ll wear my heart on my sleeve. I’ll risk it all.
Just please, one more chance with him.
Please, God.
****
NIK HEADED TO THE NEARESTbar and drank until everything was numb. He was being too fucking ridiculous about this, Nik thought tautly. He was acting like a lovesick fool, and over what? A girl he had barely known for a week, and one whose true colors he had known almost from the start?
Get a grip on yourself, Nik Alexandropoulos. Daria Everest might still be his sexual obsession, but that was all she was. That was all he should allow her to be in his life.
When he got back to his room, he found Daria curled into a ball on the bed, the trail of her tears still evident on her face.
He stared down at her for a long moment, and the way his chest tightened as he continued to look at her only made him more implacable in his resolve.
Slowly, he pulled the covers on top of her. After, he stretched himself next to Daria, careful not to have any parts of their bodies touching. He closed his eyes and was unsurprised when sleep eluded him in spite of his intoxicated state.
One last day, Nik decided grimly. He would give himself one last day to be with Daria, and then he would get rid of her, with or without claiming his revenge. Daria Everest was poison, and one couldn’t ever have vengeance against poison. Poison didn’t feel. It only killed, and it was time he remembered that.
The sun had risen prominently in the sky by the time Nik woke up, and the first thing he realized was that the space next to him was empty.
Daria! She was gone!
He sat up immediately and had to swallow back a groan as his hangover threatened to crush his skull into pieces. Fuck. Forcing himself to concentrate despite the bone-splitting headache, Nik let his gaze roam around the room, but there was no sign of Daria anywhere.
Fuck. Had she left him for the other man? Had seeing the bastard made Daria realize she couldn’t stand another day being with a supposedly poor man like him? Or maybe this was all part of the plan? Had she left to make him jealous and admit the truth about his wealth?
Nik had no fucking idea, and at this point he didn’t really give a damn. All he knew was that Daria was gone and he was going to get her back.
Getting up, he stalked immediately towards the door, not bothering to change. He had barely taken one step outside his room when Nik found himself almost tripping—-
